HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies fatally shot a man they say was armed early Sunday morning at a Tampa apartment complex.
Authorities were dispatched at 12:42 a.m. to the Bristol Bay Apartments on Bristol Bay Way. The initial call was for shots fired.
Responding deputies say they determined two men at a party had gotten into a fight over a woman, leading one of the men to fire a gun toward the other at least twice, according to Chief Deputy Donna Lusczynski. However, nobody was hit by the gunfire.
Investigators say they identified the shooter as 32-year-old Jonathan Huertas Reyes.
Body cam video shows law enforcement trying to speak with Huertas Reyes, but he ran away – prompting a foot chase. After the deputy chasing him pulled out a Taser, deputies say Huertas Reyes pulled out a gun and pointed it at his own head.
“Onlookers who saw the suspect with the gun began shouting at Huertas Reyes in Spanish and English to put down his weapon. A bilingual deputy, who was called to the scene, began speaking with Huertas Reyes on the phone while standing at a distance from him, attempting to encourage him to walk toward them without his gun in hand,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement. “Huertas Reyes repeatedly made threats to harm himself, suggesting that he would be going to jail for the shooting that had taken place earlier.”
Deputies say Huertas Reyes, at one point, put down the gun – but later picked it up again. That’s when deputies say they opened fire on him.
“Deputies deployed immediate lifesaving efforts, including using an AED on Huertas Reyes,” HCSO said. “He was transported to Tampa General Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
The sheriff’s office said the three deputies at the scene were Sgt. Benjamin Kenney, Deputy Nicholas Scudder, and Deputy Jeff Louis.
“None of the deputies involved have any prior uses of deadly force,” HCSO said.
All three will be put on paid administrative leave, which is protocol in these situations. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the shooting.
If you or someone you know is in a crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. The lifeline can also be reached at its former number 1-800-273-8255 or online at 988lifeline.org. You can also text HELLO to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. A comprehensive list of suicide prevention resources can be found on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) website.
Watch the body camera video can be seen below: